Never Enough
by avesnovuelan
Summary: A look at post season 9 x-files life COMPLETE
1. Default Chapter

Name: Never Enough  
  
By: XfilesOstrich  
  
Rating: PG:13 mostly, some parts may jump up to R for violence, I will warn  
  
you ahead of time.  
  
Time Frame: About 3 months after the end of season 9  
  
Summary: Since all characters are now fugitives, they have to create a new life somewhere. Mulder and Scully, after hopping all over the country trying to avoid capture, moved to Bolivia where they are staying with some Catholic missionaries that Scully knew in grade school. Posing as a married couple, they are working for the mission, Scully as a doctor in the woman's clinic and Mulder as a handyman around the church. Doggett and Reyes are in Canada, and still in close contact with Skinner. I will jump back and forth between the two couples periodically.  
  
Disclaimer: They're not mine. Drats.  
  
"Trinidad, tell Mrs. Villa that her twins seem nice and healthy, and that I'll see her back here in one month for a check up." The small, dark interpreter speaks in rapid Spanish to the obviously pregnant woman lying on the examining table.  
  
"Gracias, doctora, Gracias," The woman pulls a coin out of her bra and presses it in Scully's hand.  
  
"No, that's okay..."(looking around for Trinidad who has left the room)..."Um, no es nesesario." Scully tries. German had come easy in High School, but Spanish was a challenge. The woman replaces the coin and, smiling, leaves the office.  
  
"Hola, mi muchacha," Scully hears Mulder's voice from behind. She turns to find him standing with his head in the window (a hole in the mud wall with no glass or screen, covered by a torn sheet. Today the sheet had been pulled aside to try and allow some breeze into the small, one roomed clinic. It wasn't helping.) Scully wiped sweat from behind her neck and walked over to talk to Mulder.  
  
"That was my last patient for today, I just have to clean up and then I'll be coming home."  
  
An hour later, they were sitting in their house, facing each other on the cot that served as a bed and a couch. Their whole home was just one room, with adobe walls and a curtain separating the room in two. The curtain was drawn back, but the rug that hung over their doorway was closed. Outside, Maria, an orphaned teenager, was cooking their dinner over the fireplace. She lived at the mission, and acts as a maid for Mulder and Scully in exchange for her room and board.  
  
"I mean, theoretically we could stay here forever, provided they continue needing us. I'm just saying that this isn't my idea of 'happily ever after,'" Mulder said. As he spoke, he pulled one of Scully's bare feet into his lap and started massaging it absentmindedly. She grabbed one of his and returned the favor.  
  
"I know what you mean...It's just, well, what else are we going to do? We both nearly died trying to hide in the US and it's too dangerous for us to join Doggett and Reyes in Canada. Maybe in a few years, when things have cooled off a little, we can move again. But right now our faces are plastered on the walls of every airport, train station and buss station, not to mention police station, in the US and probably Canada too. The fact that we were able to get here was a miracle, let's not ruin it. I don't want to loose you again." Tears started to form in Scully's eyes, but before Mulder could respond Maria came in with their dinner. Seeing that she was interrupting, she set the tray on the low table in the center of the room, (the only other furniture in their house) and left without saying anything. Mulder and Scully each sat on a rug on opposite sides of the table.  
  
"Let's eat!" Mulder exclaimed. The way he said it made Scully smile. In an attempt at conversation, he asked, "How are things at the clinic?"  
  
"It's not easy being around pregnant women and their babies. I assisted in a birth today...the woman named her son William...I started crying. It was kind of funny, Trinidad and Dr. Rogers just stared at me trying to figure out what was wrong."  
  
"Did you explain it to them?" Mulder asked. He knew that she was trying not to let him see her pain. She thought she had learned to hide it from him, but every now and then she'd see a mother and child together, happy, laughing, and Mulder would see that look in her eyes...that far away look as if she was trying to picture William in his new family...trying to convince herself that what she did was right.  
  
"No. Really, it's not so bad. I'm fine."  
  
"You're fine."  
  
"That's what I said."  
  
"You realize that you never say 'I'm fine' unless you're really not."  
  
Scully said nothing. Mulder just smiled. They changed the subject, and seemingly the topic was forgotten. But late that night, when she thought Mulder was asleep, Scully allowed herself to cry hot, almost silent tears into her pillow. He listened motionlessly for a moment, then, without saying anything, pulled her head onto his chest and stroked her hair until she fell asleep.  
  
*** Starting over had been easier for Reyes and Doggett. They were renting a furnished two-bedroom apartment in Toronto. Reyes had managed to get a job at a local supermarket and Doggett had just put in an application for a security position at a bank. They had been fortunate enough to be left out of the America's Most Wanted profile. That didn't mean that they were safe, however. Someone had been following Reyes, and she found a threatening note stuck under her windshield wiper. "I know who you are" was all it had said. She brought it home and showed it to Doggett.  
  
"So how long has this guy been following you?" He asked with a concerned look. "How come you didn't tell me sooner?"  
  
They were sitting on the couch. The TV was on, but only one channel came in, and it was fuzzy. Right now it was muted.  
  
"He's tried to follow me home from work a few times. I go a different way every day, and I've managed to loose him each time. It's not that big of a deal, really."  
  
"Not that big of a deal? Monica, what if he plans on turning us in?"  
  
"Okay, this note sort of makes it a big deal. Should I report him to the police?"  
  
"No, we probably want as little contact with the police as possible. Just play it safe, okay? The bank called, and they want me to work there. I start next Monday. Why don't I drive you to work tomorrow, and I'll come pick you up. Maybe I can get a look at this guy."  
  
"Okay. So you got the job? Congratulations."  
  
"Yeah, but a lot of good it will do me if we have to move."  
  
Reyes smiled and reached for his hand. "We're gonna be okay, really, we are." He squeezed back and said, "We'll see." A slightly awkward moment passed, and then she pulled her hand away slowly. In the three months since they had been on the road, they had come close to starting a romantic relationship...even kissed once. But they were both still uncomfortable in that area. They had feelings for each other, but didn't know what to do with them. Doggett excused himself and went off to his room. 


	2. never enough ch2

"Sometimes I know that it's never enough. Survival is fine but satisfaction is rough, oh. Ain't the night Heavy." -- From "Ain't it Heavy" by Melissa Etheridge  
  
When Scully woke up the next morning, Mulder was already up. She rubbed the sleepy seed out of her eyes...a product of the previous night's tears, and pulled a pair of shorts on under the T-shirt she had slept in. Maria had left a loaf of fresh baked bread for breakfast, and they would get coffee at the mission. The mission and the clinic were the only buildings in town that had electricity, and the coffeepot at the mission was envied by many. Mulder was standing outside. It had rained overnight, and the air seemed cool, almost chilly. Everything seemed fresh and new. Their house was on a bit of a hill, and from their door they could see the entire village waking up. Children, sent outside and out of their mother's way, filled the streets and soon their voices could be heard throughout the town. A street vendor's call could be heard. For a moment, everything seemed peaceful. Mulder pulled Scully in for a good morning hug. "Did you sleep well, Dana?" he asked. She blinked once or twice and answered, "Yes. You know, it still feels strange having you call me that. Especially when I'm not allowed to call you Fox."  
  
"Ugh. I still cringe when I hear that name. What were my parent's thinking?"  
  
They stood there a moment longer, then Mulder said, "I'd better get down to the mission, we have a lot of work to do today. Got to earn my keep, you know."  
  
Later, brother Jose, a native who worked for the church, approached Mulder with a letter. "Dis came for you, hermano, Es from America!" The letter was made out to Nathan Grines, Mulder's alias. Scully had been going as Dana Grines. The only person who knew who they really were was sister Noel, Scully's high-school friend who had agreed to hide them at the mission.  
  
"I know who you are" was all the letter said.  
  
***At a pay phone some 50 miles outside of Toronto, Doggett waited for the phone to ring. Skinner called him once a week, Friday nights between 11:30 and Midnight. Skinner had been able to feign innocence and get into the witness protection program by claiming that Mulder had threatened him. Now he was the key figure in keeping Mulder, Scully, Reyes and Doggett safe.  
  
Doggett told skinner about the note and the man following Reyes.  
  
"I want you and Reyes to be all packed up and ready to leave at a moment's notice. The moment you even think that you feel like you're in danger, I want you on a plane to London. Use the credit cards I gave you. Book flights on several different planes to many different places using cards that you've used before, then use one you haven't used before to book the plane to London. How many unused identities do you have left?"  
  
"Three, if you count the one I used to get into that hotel in Boston. That's the only time I used it."  
  
"Save that one for an emergency."  
  
"So, have you heard from Mulder yet?"  
  
"No. He knows where to send a letter, but I haven't gotten one yet. Normally no news is good news but..." Skinner trailed off.  
  
"I'm sure they're fine. They're smart, those two."  
  
"I know that. But until I'm sure that you are all safe, I won't sleep well at night."  
  
At about 2:00 A.M., Reyes was awakened by a noise coming from outside her bedroom door. Grabbing her gun from under her pillow, she slipped out of bed and cracked her door open. Across the hall she could see Doggett, who always slept with his door wide open, sound asleep. Hugging the wall, she crept toward the living room. Everything was dark, and the room was still and silent. Suddenly she felt a cool breeze touch the back of her neck. She turned and saw the curtain hanging over the kitchen window move. She moved to shut it, when she was tackled to the ground from behind. The barrel of a gun was pushed violently into her temple.  
  
"Don't move." The whisper was familiar. Very familiar.  
  
"John?" She asked.  
  
"Monica?" He rolled off of her and reached for a light.  
  
Then they both spoke at the same time. "You scared the..." They both chuckled a nervous laugh. Reyes was breathing hard, and leaned up against the counter to recover. Doggett, who had also noticed the open window reached to shut it. "Ow!" he exclaimed. "What the...?" He motioned for Reyes to join him. The window frame was still shut, as it had been the night before, and locked. The glass pane had been sliced out of the frame. Some sharp, jagged pieces remained. Doggett was sucking on his cut finger. He removed it from his mouth. "Time to go."  
  
***"Brother Jose, wait" Mulder ran a few paces and caught up with the man who had just handed him the letter. "You say this came from America?"  
  
"Si, hermano. Was wid da packages from da church dat sponsors us. De forwarded it to us."  
  
At the clinic, the woman Scully had seen the day before had gone into premature labor. Now in her seventh month, the children would probably survive, but things were tense. Her husband, who was rumored to beat his wife and supposedly had even made her miscarry once, was standing in a corner with his arms crossed over his chest, just watching. Trinidad was holding the terrified woman's hand, coaching her to breathe. Dr. Rogers had two incubators (the only two in the whole clinic) all set up to take the children. Scully was standing at the foot of the bed, ready to receive the babies.  
  
Later, when the mother was standing over the incubators, admiring her twin daughters, the husband stormed out of the room. Obviously, as long as they were girls, he didn't care.  
  
Mulder had been watching from the doorway. Scully had noticed him, but only now acknowledged him.  
  
"M...Nathan" she remembered to use his alias since Dr. Rogers was still in the room.  
  
"Dr. Rogers, can you spare her for a moment?" Without waiting for an answer, he took her by the arm and pulled her outside.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
He pulled the letter out of his pocket. "This was forwarded here by the church that sponsors this mission."  
  
Scully read the note. "Sent to the church, so do they know where we are? Or just know that we're working for a mission sponsored by that church."  
  
"I don't know. We can't exactly leave...where would we go?"  
  
"So what are you suggesting?"  
  
"I think that they're trying to scare us into moving again so they can catch us. I think we should stay here. If need be, we can hide in the jungle. We have that emergency kit we prepared, we could take it and survive for weeks out there if need be. They'd never find us."  
  
"Right. Do you think we should tell the other people around here? Have them be on the lookout for anyone new in town?"  
  
"No, probably not. We don't want to risk having one of them blow our cover. Tell your friend Noel, but no one else."  
  
"Right." Scully reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "I have work to do." Then she retreated back inside. 


	3. Chapter 3

"Where can a woman find any kind of peace? When does the fury and the agony cease? How long have I got to say please?" -From "Ain't it Heavy" by Melissa Etheridge  
  
The plane didn't leave for another hour. Doggett and Reyes had left their apartment instantly, hardly pausing to throw a few necessities in a backpack. The airport was abandoned, which made it easy for Doggett to keep an eye out for anyone seeming suspicious. Reyes was sleeping with her head in his lap.  
  
The man in the trench coat hadn't seen them yet, but he would. Doggett watched as he approached the counter and flashed some sort of badge in the face of the sleepy airline employee. He shook Reyes gently. Without saying a word, he pointed at the man.  
  
"That's him, that's the guy who was following me." Her voice was barely above a whisper. The man was looking at the computer screen, making notes in his notepad. He appeared to be looking at different ticket reservations. At the moment, the agents were hidden from his view by a large pillar. Keeping the pillar between him and them, they slowly crept to a side exit and out of the airport.  
  
Doggett started the car and headed for the exit to the parking ramp. The man had seen them; he was chasing after their car. A gunshot exploded, and they felt the back driver's side of the car sink a little. Doggett kept driving on the flat tire as another gunshot shattered the back window and whizzed out the front. Reyes head hit the dashboard, blood streaming from her temple. Doggett kept going, speeding out of the airport and down the empty two-lane highway.  
  
***Mulder was standing behind their house, naked from the waist up. He had a bucket of cold water, a bar of soap and a washcloth. As the sweat and dirt from the day was washed off, his skin became three shades lighter. He watched Scully, in her pajamas, walk down to the creek behind their house and fill the top part of a filter with water. Once it ran through the filter it would have to be boiled hard, then it would be safe to drink. He whistled at her, and she jerked her head around sharply. Her hair was still wet from her nightly "shower."  
  
"I would kill for running water right now," she said as she dragged the rather heavy filter back up the embankment.  
  
"Me too," he answered as he dumped the last of the water from his bucket over his head. "Here, let me help you with that." He grabbed it and then playfully bumped Scully out of the way, causing her to stumble and almost fall back down the muddy slope.  
  
"Fine. You carry it." Scully purposefully walked over to where he had been bathing and took his towel. Then she walked right past him saying, "You won't be needing this, will you?"  
  
Mulder didn't answer. Instead, he set the filter down and shook his wet hair at her like a dog. She screamed playfully and ran away. He chased her and caught her easily, throwing her over his left shoulder, then picking up the water filter with his right hand and carrying both into the house.  
  
Scully's laughter was not something Mulder had had the privilege of seeing very often. Even a smile was a rare treasure. Especially lately, with the ever present danger lurking about. It filled his heart with warmth and put a lump in his throat to see her happy. And the look in her eyes as he gently laid her down on the cot and sat down next to her—a look of trust and love—It was pure gold.  
  
Much later, when Mulder was fast asleep, Scully stepped outside into the cool, damp night air. The moon was full, and here, away from the city lights, she could see billions of bright stars. These heavenly lights were more than enough for her to see her surroundings clearly. She stood there, silently, and rubbed her hands together. Her fingers found the cheap gold band on her ring finger—something they had purchased at a sleazy pawnshop while still in the states to make it easier to pose as a married couple. How she wished that it wasn't just a cover. She considered herself married to Mulder—after all, they were committed, in love, and truly planned on spending the rest of their lives together. All that was missing was a piece of paper making it legal. She allowed herself to imagine a beautiful wedding, with flowers, guests, music, and herself walking down the isle with her father in a beautiful white dress towards a fidgety and nervous, but ultimately perfect Mulder. It was a dream that she could never hope to see made reality. But she longed for something—something more than what they had. Some sort of security, a promise of more to come. It really is never enough, she though to herself. Never enough of what I want, what I need, and always too much of everything else.  
  
"What are you doing, still awake? Come back to bed." Mulder stepped outside and placed a hand on her shoulder. She allowed herself to be pulled back inside, being drawn back to the reality of where she was 


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note: Thank you so much to my one and only reader, Gothic Spook. If any lovely silent readers exist PLEASE COMMENT. I have self esteem issues, (j/k) no but I do love to hear when people like my stories, or if they hate them, or if there is something I should change.**  
  
"Walking on the edge of rage and understanding, between the black and the white. This child is so angry, alone here tonight."  
-From "Dance Without Sleeping" by Melissa Etheridge  
  
Doggett didn't think that he was being followed, but he drove evasively just in case. He turned onto a gravel road and followed it through to another paved road. Then he turned onto another gravel road. Finally he pulled off to the side and parked the car out of site of the road.  
  
The whole time he had been reaching over and feeling to make sure Reyes was still breathing. Now he turned to her. "Monica. Monica wake up!" The place where the bullet had grazed her temple was still oozing blood. Around the edges a scab was starting to form. He dug through their backpack and found the first aid kit that Reyes had insisted they bring along.  
  
As he trimmed her hair from around the wound and began to clean it, she stirred. "John? What happened?" He had pulled her head into his lap where he could bandage it easily. He was holding a flashlight under his chin, and she hit her head on it when she tried to sit up. "Ow! She exclaimed and grabbed her head. Feeling the blood, she forced herself upright.  
  
"Shh, be still. You've been shot. Just a flesh wound, but come back here and let me finish patching it up." He folded his coat in his lap to make a pillow and reached for her, pulling her back down by the back of her neck. She sat still long enough for him to clean and cover the wound, then sat up again, a little too fast. Dizzy, she nearly fainted again. He caught her. Laying her seat back so she could lie down, he once again sacrificed his coat so she could have a pillow.  
  
She didn't sleep. "Where are we?" she asked.  
  
"I'm not sure. I outran him and pulled off the road. It looks like we might not be going to London after all."  
  
"I'm really thirsty. We don't have any water, do we?"  
  
"No, sorry. There's this?" He handed her his coffee cup. The contents were hours old, and not even luke warm, but she drank anyway. Then she shivered. He opened their backpack. No blanket, but they had each grabbed an extra set of clothes. He helped her put hers on over what she was already wearing. "Better?"  
  
"Yes, a little," she said, still shivering. Doggett lifted up the armrest separating the two seats and scooted over closer to her. He slid his right arm under her neck and used his left to pull her in close.  
  
"Better?" he asked again.  
  
"Much," she answered truthfully. Within seconds, she was sound asleep. He held her as she slept, kissing her forehead protectively. He dozed on and off, but mostly just laid there, looking at her beautiful face, stroking her hair, and praying. Praying wasn't something he did often—in fact he hadn't done it at all since before Luke died—but he prayed now. He felt lost and hopeless, and he prayed for a miracle.  
  
***In south America, Sister Noel was praying too. Praying that she was doing the right thing. Praying that if she wasn't, that God would forgive her. She prayed the whole way as she walked to the police station, and hesitated outside the door. Uttering an audible "Amen," she walked inside. 


	5. Chapter 5

"Looking for my tower, I can see his fortress strong, surrounded by his army, where do I belong?" -From "The Boy Feels Strange" by Melissa Etheridge  
  
When the local authorities entered their home, Mulder and Scully were sleeping, spoon style, taking up as little room on their cot as possible. A flashlight shined in their faces.  
  
"Get up, both of you!" The man shouted in a thick Spanish accent. He and another officer had guns pointed in their faces. "Keep your hands where I can see them."  
  
Locked together with a sleeping drunk in the only cell in the local jail, they sat together on the floor. Sister Nora had brought them some food and water because the only way to eat in a jail like this is to have someone you know bring you things. The officer, who told them to call him Don Marcos, was polite but firm. He sat at his desk, writing a letter to the American authorities.  
  
Forcing herself not to cry, Scully rested her head on Mulder's shoulder. The food remained untouched, but Mulder splashed some of the water over his face.  
  
Don Marcos's figure filled the doorway. They looked up at him. "You have ten minutes to convince me not to mail this letter." He pulled a chair up in front of the door and sat expectantly.  
  
***The sun's early rays tickled Reyes's face. Opening her eyes and blinking slowly, she struggled to remember where she was. The sharp, throbbing pain in her head jolted her memory. Obeying a sudden urge, she opened the car door and vomited in the grass.  
  
Her sudden movements waking Doggett, he groaned and stretched, rolling over and hitting his knee on the steering wheel. He uttered a choice cuss word and rubbed his knee. Then, seeing Reyes coughing up stomach acid to his right, he reached over and touched her shoulder. "You okay?"  
  
"Never better." She returned to a laying down position and pressed the back of her hand to her forehead. Doggett noticed that the bandage on her head was completely soaked through with blood, and more blood was starting to drip down and dry on her cheek. And their first aid kit was not very well stocked. Reyes didn't seem to notice "So, what now?" she asked.  
  
"How about some breakfast?"  
  
"We don't have any food."  
  
"No, but I bet they do at the farm I passed last night."  
  
"What are you suggesting?" Reyes gave him her skeptical look...one she didn't use very often.  
  
"Just follow my lead. Oh, and you'll have to take that bandage off." 


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey you looking through a mirror to a cage. I'll take you away this miracle you pray for on the stage. I will be with you tonight. I will be with you 1,000 miles away."  
-From "It's for you" by Melissa Etheridge.  
  
Ten minutes could never be long enough to tell the whole story. A story that took more than 9 years to write. Here's the shortened version that Mulder, with some interjections from a half-asleep Scully, told the Guard.  
  
"My real name is Fox Mulder. Until recently, I was a FBI agent. This is Dana Scully. She was my partner. For 9 years we worked together, investigating unsolved mysteries involving the paranormal. One of our last cases involved men who apparently could not die. I was accused of killing one of these men. But he was seen, alive, after I supposedly killed him. I was on trial, and found guilty. Scully here, along with some other friends, helped me escape from prison. We've been on the run ever sense."  
  
"Did you say men who could not die?" The guard's head had perked up at this statement? "My brother had a wife who was murdered in her home. He shot the man several times in the head, but the man kept on going, and nearly killed my brother. I had a hard time believing him."  
  
"There is a way to kill these men. Near exposure to a certain metal..."  
  
"Si, I know. I chased the man into a mine. He appeared to be sucked into the walls right before my eyes!"  
  
"So you believe me? You'll let us go?"  
  
"No, sorry senor, when I said you had to convince me, I mean with dinero. Money. Es de only way to get out of a prison here. Did you not know this? But I do believe you. I just need a bit more persuasion."  
  
***Reyes walked with one arm over Doggett's shoulder, pretending that she needed his support to walk. They had removed the bandage and even scraped her head wound a little to get it to bleed some more. Doggett knocked gently on the door of the cute little farmhouse, and plump woman in her mid 60's answered the door. She was wearing a long, flowered dress and an apron that said "World's best grandma" across the chest.  
  
"Hi there, good morning!" Doggett started. "My name is John, and this is my...Fiancée Monica. We've been in a bit of a car accident..."  
  
"Oh, goodness! Here come in. Do you need to go to a hospital, my dear?" The woman took Reyes from John and helped her to a chair in the warm and inviting kitchen."  
  
"No, no I'm okay. Although, I wouldn't refuse a Band-Aid or two if you have some handy. And maybe some Tylenol? My head really hurts."  
  
"And could we use your phone?" Doggett asked. "My...parents don't live very far...we were on our way to visit them when the accident happened. I'm sure they can come get us."  
  
"Of course, it's right over there." The woman pointed. "And as for you, I'll get you all fixed up in no time. You guys aren't hungry, are you? I just baked some caramel rolls. Help yourselves. And there's some fresh fruit in the basket there."  
  
"Thank you, Mrs...."  
  
"Please, call me Granny. Everyone else does." She disappeared into the bathroom and returned with gauze, medical tape, scissors, rubbing alcohol and some cotton swabs. Reyes allowed herself to be doctored up while the woman told them about her grandchildren with pride. Doggett dialed some BS phone number and started a one-sided conversation with his "parents." Reyes had to force herself not to laugh. She felt sorry for whoever Doggett had reached...they were probably very confused.  
  
Hanging up the phone, he said, "Well, they can come get us, but not for a few hours. They want us to meet them...in town. Around noon." Silently Doggett prayed that they were somewhere near a town and that "In town" would mean something to this woman.  
  
"Of course. You two are welcome to stay here until then. I'll make lunch. You can take it with you...some for your parents too!" She continued talking, not caring if they were listening or not. Doggett winked at Reyes.  
  
***"Money? That's all you want? How much?" Mulder was a bit surprised.  
  
"Well, I like you two. 400 Bolivian Pesos should do it."  
  
"I...think I can manage." Mulder was picturing the cash buried in the corner of their hut. Not that it was doing them much good 400 Bolivian Pesos was less than 100 dollars. "It might have to be in American money, though. Say...Two hundred?" That ought to insure his silence.  
  
"Amigo, you got yourself a deal."  
  
Later, back at their hut, after giving the man the cash, Mulder and Scully were once again alone.  
  
"Great, you got us out of Prison. Now what?" Scully seemed annoyed. "We can't stay here, now can we?"  
  
*** Authors Note: Sorry all of these have been so short. I go for the 'many short chapters' approach instead of the 'occasional mile long chapter' one. If you would rather have longer chapters just let me know, but there won't be as many of them. 


	7. Chapter 7

"I've been searching, searching for a reason, to either fight or fly. Either way, patriot or treason, it's gonna be one long hard ride."  
-From "2001" by (who else) Melissa Etheridge  
  
(Author's note: Aren't these quotes great? I swear her whole CD could be an x-files soundtrack)  
  
"So, I'm assuming that you have some sort of plan, right?" Scully was sitting on their cot; Mulder was pacing the room.  
  
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking. So much for your 'great old friend Noel.'"  
  
"It's not my fault! I didn't know she would turn us in!"  
  
"Well it's not my fault either, is it now? How come I have to be the one to come up with a plan all the time anyway?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you're the one who we all had to spring from prison? Because You're the reason we're all FUGITIVES!" Mulder turned to face her, kneeling down on the floor right in front of her. "Mulder, I...I'm..." She started to try to apologize. He interrupted. "Don't you think that I know that? I die a thousand times every night...every night when I hear you cry, and I do hear you, I kill myself inside for what I've done to you. Your brother's right...you should have left me years ago, when they threatened to send you to Salt Lake City. I told you to go be a doctor, and you refused. Why, Why Scully? Hanging around with me...it's killing you. Why not just turn me in? They'd pardon you, and you could live again. I'd take the death penalty with eagerness if I thought it would make up for what I've done to you."  
  
Tears flowed freely down Scully's face. "I'm so sorry." She choked back a sob. "You ask me why? How can you not know? I love you, damn it, and I don't care if it means we have to live in a hole in the ground for the rest of our lives. As long as I'm with you, I don't care. Please don't blame yourself. Like you said, I could've left any time. You didn't do this to me...they did this to us."  
  
Mulder didn't know if it was her tears or his own that fell on their intertwined hands. They felt cool, almost cold as they dripped off his hand and into her lap. She reached up and grabbed the sides of his face, wiping tears away with her thumbs. "Oh Mulder...I'm..." but she couldn't finish. Instead, she pulled his head down and pressed her lips solidly into his forehead. Then she rested her head on his shoulder, breathing him in, crying without reserve onto his shirt.  
  
***"So, where did your parents say that they'd meet you?" Granny drove them through the town. Doggett was sitting shotgun; Reyes sat in the back of the woman's old station wagon.  
  
"Right here is good," Doggett had the woman pull into a gas station on the side of the highway. "Thank you so much for your help...I wish I could pay you for all you've done for us."  
  
"Oh, nonsense. Don't be silly. I enjoyed your company. You two take care of yourselves, now, and good luck with your wedding."  
  
Reyes and Doggett waved as she drove off, and then they went and sat on a bench outside of the gas station, holding the paper bag filled with food that she had given them. "I feel kind of bad, like we used that poor woman." Reyes confessed.  
  
"I know what you mean. But what else were we going to do? What are we going to do now?"  
  
"I have no idea. Let's go inside...it looks like there are some places to sit and maybe we can find out a little about where we are and where we can go."  
  
Inside, a TV was on to a local station playing a news report. Still no sign of the two American fugitives who escaped authorities at the Toronto Airport last night. Police are releasing this picture, and asking for any help they can get. Doggett and Reyes stared in disbelief as a clip from an airline security video clearly showed both of their faces as they spoke with the woman behind the counter. Apparently, no one else in the shop had been watching the news report; they all seemed oblivious. Doggett swore under his breath. 


	8. Chapter 8

"When I kissed you last night, in my own backyard, you ran so fast and you fought so hard, you must be crazy for me."  
-From "Must Be Crazy for me" by Melissa Etheridge  
  
"Hold still or I'll accidentally cut your ear off!" Doggett pushed Reyes back down in the chair for the hundredth time. The two had locked themselves in the "family" bathroom at a nearby rest stop (the one that no one ever uses that is designed for parents and their children or people traveling with a handicap person who needs assistance.)  
  
"I just want to see what you're doing to me." She strained once again to see in the bathroom mirror. Her once long, dark brown hair would soon come to just below her ears. He cut carefully around the bandage on her head. In a plastic bag on the floor behind them were two pairs of sunglasses, a variety of bandannas, and three different colors of hair dye. Reyes would soon be a beautiful blond with light brown highlights (Doggett's idea.) She would get her revenge, though. Reyes planned on dying his hair and eyebrows red, and shaving the back of his head.  
  
When it was all over, they both looked much younger. Reyes was rather impressed. Doggett had even styled her hair so that it nearly covered the hideous bandage completely.  
  
Reyes then covered her hair in a bandanna and walked across the street to a small motel. Doggett stayed behind because they had decided that the police would be looking for a man and a woman together. Sitting on a bench outside reading a newspaper, he glanced at her over the top of the paper, watching the way she walked. He shook his head and blinked when he realized that he was staring at her rear. He was trying very hard not to think of her that way, but it wasn't working. He knew that starting a sexual relationship with her would be a mistake...if she were to get pregnant they'd be in a whole lot of trouble. But he wanted to be with her...to hold her, protect her, kiss her...everything else could wait. Or at least that's what he would keep telling himself.  
  
Reyes could feel Doggett's eyes on her; he saw which room she walked into and would join her once darkness fell. The room was small, with one bed, a dresser with a TV on top, and a table with two chairs pushed against a wall. She went into the adjoining bathroom and undressed. She washed out her clothes in the sink and hung them over the curtain rod. Then she filled the tub with water and an entire bottle of the complimentary shampoo and enjoyed what was the closest she could come to a bubble bath. The radio was on in the other room and the dull, heavy music lulled her to sleep.  
  
***It was a four-day hike to La Paz, Bolivia's capital city. The only other option was a charter plane, but that was too much of a risk. So Mulder and Scully took the foot trail. They had always known that it might come to this, and they were prepared. Or so they thought. But their first night, curled together on top of a blanket inside a steaming hot pup tent, Scully was beginning to wonder if they should've risked taking the plane. Every muscle in her body hurt. They had enough food to last the whole way, but it had to be rationed strictly and her stomach was growling. Fortunately, the entire path followed a river whose water needed only to be filtered.  
  
Scully was lying on her stomach, with Mulder straddling her hips attempting to massage some of the pain out of her stiff muscles. He had strong hands, and it felt good. So good that she was starting to fall asleep.  
  
"Okay, my turn!" Mulder slid off of her and plopped face down expectantly. His enthusiasm annoyed her. Reluctantly, she pulled herself up and started doing her best to return the favor.  
  
Neither of them really felt like talking, but they needed to decide what to do next. They were running out of money fast, and neither of them could forget that ominous note they had received.  
  
"You know," Mulder began, "You probably would have no trouble getting a job on the street in downtown La Paz. I'm sure none of the Johns...or do they call them Joses here?...would mind that you can't speak Spanish to save your life." He winced as she smacked him firmly across the back of his head.  
  
"Careful, you. Remember, I've got you pinned. All we need to do is find some place we can stay long enough to get a letter to Skinner and receive a reply. He'll have some idea of what to do next."  
  
"Hmn. Maybe I can't see you in a brothel. What about a strip club?" (Another smack.) "Oh come on. I'd be there watching out for you."  
  
"Watching out for me or just plain watching me?"  
  
"Ill have to get back to you on that." 


	9. Chapter 9

"My hands are shaking, my heart is beating fast. Is love worth making when it can never last?"  
-From "Meet me in the Back" by Melissa Etheridge  
  
Doggett let himself into the hotel room with the key that Reyes had left under the welcome mat. He was surprised to find the room in complete darkness. There was a light coming from under the bathroom door. Tapping on it lightly, he called her name. "Monica? You in there?" There was no response. He knocked a bit louder. When she still didn't answer, Doggett felt panic rising slowly in his gut. "Monica!" Still no answer. Testing the door, he found it unlocked and burst in.  
  
She was sound asleep.  
  
Doggett felt himself blushing...almost no suds remained and he had a clear view of her very naked body. Her clothes...including her underwear...were hanging up above her. He felt as though he had interrupted a very intimate moment. Forcing himself to look at her face, he approached her and gently tapped her shoulder. "Monica? Wake up. No fair that you get the bathroom the whole night. Get up so you can go to bed." He shook her gently. Startled, Reyes jumped. She had been having a very interesting dream...a recurring one, actually. She blinked a few times and remembered where she was. Doggett was holding a towel for her, positioning it so that it blocked his view of her body. She stood and allowed him to wrap it around her figure. He turned around and shut the door behind him.  
  
{He didn't even look at me} Reyes thought to herself. {Maybe I've been misreading his intentions. Maybe he likes men.} The thought gave her a smile. But she had known him much too long for that to be the case. In her head it was simple: He wasn't attracted to her. The fact that she was madly in love with him, and the fact that he knew it and she knew he knew it, didn't seem to change the way he felt. Shaking her head and trying to stop thinking like a horny teenager, she pulled her driest shirt on over her head and brushed her teeth.  
  
"John, you don't have to sleep on the floor. It's a big bed." Reyes smiled at him as he made himself a nest in the corner.  
  
"Are you sure? I kinda smell."  
  
"I'm assuming that you plan on showering before going to bed, no matter where you sleep."  
  
"Yeah, a cold shower." He muttered under his breath, not looking at her at all.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Um...nothing. Right, well I suppose I would sleep better in the bed. I'll be out in a few minutes, don't wait up." He had no idea why he had said that. He wasn't really thinking clearly.  
  
Reyes just gave him one of her 'you're weird' looks and got into the bed. She turned the TV on and found the local news. "Actually I was thinking I'd just watch some TV. After all, I slept for, like, four hours in that tub." As she spoke, she rubbed her waterlogged fingers together. "I feel like a sponge."  
  
(yes, I know I end segments in weird places)  
  
*** To the passing observer, Mulder and Scully were just another couple enjoying a romantic vacation in the jungle (a not unpopular destination, I might add, at least for those adventurous types.) The truth was that they hadn't spoken to each other all morning. She was mad at him, and he wasn't sure why. He doubted that it had anything to do with the previous night's discussion regarding possible occupations she could explore. He also realized that it was possible that she was sad or depressed and she was just burying it in anger. She did that a lot. Mulder easily climbed over a fallen tree and reached for her hand to help her over. She ignored his attempt and struggled to get her short legs over the huge trunk. When she ended up straddling the tree with both legs dangling nowhere near the ground, she did accept the hand he extended towards her. Then she flashed him an evil eye when he continued holding her hand long after she was back on her feet. So now they were a happy couple holding hands as they walked down the jungle trail. Yeah, right.  
  
She came around eventually. She always did. "Mulder..." she started.  
  
"Yes, love?" he answered, trying to ignore her pissy mood.  
  
"I had a really troubling dream last night."  
  
"Really? Me too! It was Easter and I was being chased by a giant chocolate bunny carrying a bag of Jiffy Pop!" Scully had to really struggle not to smile at this.  
  
"Mine was about us." 


	10. Chapter 10

"I've been feeling kind of loose, I've been feeling kind of mean, I've been feeling kind of wild since I turned 17."  
-From "Ain't it Heavy" by Melissa Etheridge  
  
"Good night, Monica." Doggett rolled over and laid on the very edge of the bed, taking up as little room as possible.  
  
"So, you're...going to sleep?" Reyes got up and went to the bathroom. She was surprised to find any hot water left as she washed her hands...Doggett had been in the shower for, like, and hour.  
  
"Yeah, why?" Doggett answered when she stepped out of the bathroom again. He had to close his eyes as she walked by...her T-shirt revealed way too much leg for his comfort.  
  
"Well, that's fine if you want. But it's only 8:30,"Reyes had to laugh. He was already lying down, with the blanket tucked up under his chin and his pillow bunched up under his neck.  
  
"Um...it's just that...well...what else is there to do?"  
  
"I dunno. Let's play a game!" Reyes felt very immature.  
  
"A game? Monica, I don't think we even have a deck of cards. What kind of game could we play?"  
  
"Truth or dare."  
  
"No! I think that hair dye has gotten to your brain. What are we, in high school?"  
  
"Come on, it'll be fun! What are you, chicken?" Reyes had gotten back on the bed and was bouncing it lightly. "I promise, as soon as you get uncomfortable, you can quit."  
  
"I'm already uncomfortable."  
  
"Pleeeeease John? Pretty please with sugar on top? I'll even go first. I choose...truth."  
  
One could almost see the wheels turning in Doggett's brain. This was his chance...he could ask Reyes anything and she'd have to answer truthfully. "Okay, I'll bite. How many men have you slept with?"  
  
"Hmn." Reyes pretended to start numbering them off on her fingers, but then stopped. "One."  
  
Doggett almost choked. "Brad? He's the only one?"  
  
"Yup. You have to remember I was really weird in high school. I was nerdy and I had braces for, like, 6 years."  
  
"And college?"  
  
"That's when I met Brad." "Oh. And no one since then?"  
  
"Nope." The truth was that her feelings for Doggett went way back, and she hadn't really been able to look at another man in that way. "Your turn! Truth or dare."  
  
"Truth."  
  
"Were you ever attracted to Dana?"  
  
"Attracted, yes, what right minded man wouldn't be? But I never had any real feelings for her." Doggett seemed to have relaxed a bit, he was facing her now, even letting himself look at her.  
  
"See, this isn't that bad, now is it. Dare."  
  
"Let's see...your dare is," trying to be as non-sexual as possible, "To give me a foot massage. I choose truth again."  
  
Reyes slipped off the end of the bed and knelt by his feet, taking them one at a time into her small hands. "Truth, huh? Let me think for a moment." She seemed to focus on his feet for a minute, as the millions of questions she wanted to ask rolled through her head. She loved this game. "What was your first impression of me?"  
  
"My first impression? I guess I thought you were a little...stubborn. And pushy. I still do, sometimes, to tell you the truth. Like tonight for example."  
  
"Oh." Reyes looked hurt for a moment, but it passed easily. "So, my turn, huh?" She finished with his feet. "I choose truth."  
  
"Same question."  
  
"Well, you were a grieving parent when I first met you. I thought you were reckless and irrational, but that's normal."  
  
"So what do you think of me now?"  
  
"Well...wait, you don't get two questions per turn. You'll have to wait." Reyes had joined him on the bed again, and was lying on her side facing him. He was lying staring straight up at the ceiling.  
  
"Shucks. Oh well. I suppose I choose...Dare."  
  
Scully still hadn't told him about her dream, and it had been over and hour. They were setting up a place to camp for the night. It was just starting to get dark out, but they could already see dozens of stars in the sky above the clearing they were in.  
  
Another group of hikers passed headed in the other direction. Something about them gave Scully a weird feeling. She felt for her gun...even in the middle of south America she never went anywhere without it. Mulder didn't have his...it had been confiscated when he was arrested. He had confessed to her that he often felt naked without it.  
  
There were surprisingly few bugs out for that time of day. Scully sat down on the ground, leaning against a tree. She stared up at the sky.  
  
Mulder joined her after struggling with the tent for a few minutes. He'd get her to help him set it up eventually, but right now they needed to talk. "So...you were telling me about a dream you had last night?"  
  
"Oh, right, that. Don't worry about it...it was silly, actually. Upsetting, but silly. You got malaria and died and I was working as a prostitute. It probably had something to do with the conversation we had last night. But like I said, it was silly.''  
  
"Well, geez, that's it? I mean, I'm sorry I gave you a nightmare, but that's why you've been giving me the cold shoulder all day?"  
  
"Yeah, basically. Look, Mulder; I'm tired, I'm hot, I need a shower, and, not surprisingly, I'm crabby."  
  
Mulder extended his hand to her...this time she took it willingly. "Come help me set up this darned tent and I'll haul some water so you can get cleaned up. Then you can go to sleep, okay? I promise. And for goodness sake, if you have another nightmare, wake me up."  
  
The word nightmare didn't even come close to describing the dream Scully had that night. It involved the other hikers she had seen earlier. She woke up with a start, breathing hard. Mulder was already awake...apparently she had been screaming for him in her sleep. He pulled her close and had just started rocking her back to sleep when there was a noise outside their tent. A knife sliced through the nylon fabric and a hand reached in, grabbing Scully by the collar. 


	11. Chapter 11

"I don't want to talk about it, I've done enough I think, I don't want to spend more money, Don't want another drink. I would scratch out all the images, if I had the chance. Don't ask me what I'm thinking, can't you see I only want to dance?  
  
-From "Dance Without Sleeping" By Melissa Etheridge  
  
(Author's note: I promised I'd warn about prospective violence, consider yourselves prepared)  
  
"Dare?" Reyes smiled. "You chose dare?"  
  
"Why, shouldn't I have?" Doggett was starting to feel nervous.  
  
"Dance with me. That's your dare." Reyes leaned over and turned the radio up. The song was in French (remember this is Canada) but they didn't care. It was beautiful and slow, and they danced. The song seemed to go on forever. By the end they were just standing there, holding each other. Reyes didn't care that he wasn't attracted to her. She placed her head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. "Truth," she whispered.  
  
"What do you think of me now?" he already knew the answer. But he wanted to hear her say it.  
  
"Oh, John. I think you're sweet, charming, attractive, funny, trustworthy...and I know you know how I feel about you, and I don't care if you don't feel the same..."  
  
He interrupted her. "Don't feel the same? Monica, how can you say that?" He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away from him a few inches so he could look her in the eye.  
  
"Mulder, my gun!" Scully screamed at him and pointed frantically towards her pillow. The man had the knife to her throat and was dragging her backward toward the path and wherever he and his friends had camped. He obviously didn't speak English because he didn't even flinch at the word "gun."  
  
"Basta!" [enough/stop] Mulder screamed at the man and pointed the gun at his head. The man pulled Scully up to use her for a shield. She picked her feet up off the ground, trying to make herself as heavy as possible. Mulder took the opportunity to shoot the man in the foot, but the man was moving so much that it just grazed the side of his shoe. He fired again, this time aiming higher and hitting the man square in the kneecap. The man stumbled over backwards, slitting Scully's throat on the way down. For a moment that could've been an eternity, blood spat from her neck with each heartbeat. Then, as her heart stopped, the blood stopped as well.  
  
"But, the way you've been acting...like I was your kid sister or something. Like there's no way you could ever be physically attracted to me."  
  
"That's anything but true. I haven't wanted to put myself in a position where we'd do something we might regret. Monica, if you get pregnant? Think of the consequences. I'm afraid of myself when I'm around you, afraid I won't be able to control myself..."  
  
"Shh, say no more." Reyes placed two fingers on his lips. "I understand. All I needed to know was that you felt the same. I do have one last question, though, before we quit this game. Why did you tell that woman that I was your fiancee?"  
  
"Well...Um..." Doggett actually felt himself blushing. "Wishful thinking?" Reyes just smiled at him. They turned the TV on and sat curled together on the bed. They enjoyed three movies and a few Canadian sitcoms. Doggett eventually fell asleep, but Reyes stayed up most of the night, too excited to sleep. 


	12. Chapter 12

"Let the wonder never cease and the madness of the pleasure and ecstasy, danger believing me, wounding and healing me please. Keep it Precious."  
-From "Keep it Precious" by Melissa Etheridge  
...

This time it was Mulder's turn to wake up trembling, screaming Scully's name.  
  
"What is it, Mulder? I'm right here?" He had woken up and bolted to a sitting position; she sat up too and touched his shoulder.  
  
"Scully? Scully, Oh my god, are you okay?" He felt around for a flashlight and shined it in her face. She squinted, still half asleep, as he reached for her throat. Touching it, feeling it, examining it."  
  
Mulder, what are you doing? What's wrong? I'm right here, I'm fine, you've been dreaming."  
  
"Oh, it was so real. They came to take you...I couldn't save you, he slit your throat, are you sure you're okay?"  
  
"Yes, really, I promise. Come here." She lay back down and pulled him close, letting him use her chest as a pillow. "Shh, relax. It's okay, breathe, just breathe." Scully stroked his hair and forced herself to breathe as slowly and methodically as possible. The truth was, her nightmare about the other camper's killing Mulder was much too fresh in her memory. And now his about them killing her...something wasn't right. A noise outside startled them both, but this time they were prepared. 

...  
  
"Good morning sunshine!" Reyes was standing over the microwave, warming some of Granny's soup for their breakfast. Doggett stretched sleepily. He had slept with wet hair and now it stuck up in the back and was pushed down flat in the front, except for one lock that hung off to the side like a cowlick. "That'll get you a date to prom," Reyes said teasingly. She hadn't slept all night, in fact she had gotten out of bed over an hour earlier and was already dressed. "Here, eat. We have a busy day ahead of us." 


	13. Chapter 13

"Piece by piece I take apart this complicated heart and I hope to find something I can prove is real, I can feel is truth, I can say is mine." -From "The Letting Go" by Melissa Etheridge  
  
Epilogue:  
  
Reyes and Doggett would take two separate flights to London, figuring that no one would expect them to try and go there again. An airport cab would pick him up at noon and her at 4:00 in the afternoon. When she got there, she would buy a ticket to San Francisco and then, at the last minute, claiming some drama related to an upcoming marriage and a change of heart, change her ticket to go to London instead.  
  
They met again in an airport café. Doggett had already made arrangements for them to rent the upper level of a flat from a friend of Skinner's.  
  
"Monica?" Doggett asked as they were getting ready to leave the café.  
  
"John?" she answered, smiling.  
  
"I feel like there's something I should ask you. But it will have to wait until the sequel, I think."  
  
"You mean the one that will be called "Left of the Middle" that the author is going to write soon because she's running out of Melissa Etheridge quotes?"  
  
"Yeah, that's the one." (shameless plug alert, shameless plug alert)

...  
  
Scully sat with her gun trained on the man that had planned on killing them both. Somehow they had known...God must've been looking out for them. Mulder packed up their tent and, holstering her gun, Scully joined him on the path that would eventually lead them to La Paz. Now that the other hikers knew she was armed, they wouldn't dare try to hurt them.  
  
When in La Paz, they would find a sympathetic old couple who, although they spoke only three words of English between the two of them, somehow they understood what Mulder and Scully needed and let them stay in their house long enough to get a letter to Skinner. It may have had something to do with the $100 bill Mulder folded and put in the old man's shirt pocket, or the sorry state they were both in after their jungle adventure. Or, perhaps, God was looking out for them.  
  
...The End...  
  
"Does he ever find the answers, in the cars as they go by? Does he ever  
want to ask me why?"  
  
-From "The Boy Feels Strange" by Melissa Etheridge.  
  
All songs available on the album "Never Enough" by Melissa Etheridge. 


End file.
